1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of protective devices for firearms. More specifically, this invention is in the field of covers for long guns.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sportsmen who use guns for hunting or target shooting frequently have invested substantial sums in the firearm; often a large part of the investment is in the stock and decorative work on the metal parts of the gun. In order to protect these areas from marring, the guns are kept in locked cabinets when not in use, and transported in boxes or scabbards to the site.
In the case of pistols, the likelihood of damage to non-functional parts during use is minimal; the pistol is in either a holster or the user's hand when at the ready or in use. In the case of a long gun, however, it has not heretofore been possible conveniently to transport the gun, have it available for ready use, and protect the non-functional or decorative parts from damage. As used in this specification, the term "long gun" refers to rifles, shotguns, muskets and the like, such firearms being characterized generally by a barrel with a length greater than about 25 centimeters (cm), and having a stock of length in excess of about 15 cm, as opposed to a simple handgrip.
Specifically with respect to long guns, a hunter can transport his gun to or near the site where he will be hunting, leaving the gun in its protective case until the time it is used. However, once out of the case, the gun is now susceptible to scratching, nicks, abrasion and other kinds of disfiguring damage by virtue of being carried through and over fences, thorns, branches, stones, barriers and the like, both natural and man-made. Similarly for target shooting, the gun is kept in the case until used, but is still exposed to damage during use, when the stock, slide, forearm and other parts can be injured in a varity of ways. As a result of this situation, and because of the considerable investment which many sportsmen have made in rifles and shotguns, it is a common phenomenon to find a sportsman using an expensive gun for practice, and a lower-cost firearm for field use, either in hunting or target practice. Because each gun has individual idiosyncracies, the practice on the gun may not be fully tranferable to another. As a result, efficiency in the field suffers. A desirable solution to this situation would be a gun cover which both protects the gun and at the same time permits it to be used in the field with reasonable convenience.
While there are any number of methods to protect guns from damage, virtually none of them permit the gun to be operated in a normal fashion while the protective means is in place. One partial answer to the problem is provided by Heffner in U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,990. Heffner discloses a stock protector with flexible side panels and a closure means for maintaining the protector in close relationship with the stock.
However, Heffner's device makes no provision for the working parts of the gun; it does not extend to the trigger area or the forearm. By Heffner's disclosure, a lever-action gun equipped with his cover would be unworkable; further, his fastener would cause irritation or interference with the sighting of the gun by impinging on the cheek of the user; in the models of some guns, the fastener can interfere with sighting.
Another device disclosed by Stackhouse, U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,371, shows a scabbard with openings through which the trigger may be operated and bullets ejected. The scabbard covers virtually the entire gun, but has no provision to permit sighting or cocking, and interferes with normal handling.
A protective cover for a long gun, to be fully effective, should cover the wooden and decorative metal parts and keep them from being scratched, nicked and abraded, but at the same time permit unimpeded operation of all of the functions of the gun. The cover should also be easy to attach and remove, and should not add unduly to the weight of the gun. No device meeting all these criteria has heretofore existed.
When appropriate, a cover for a gun should afford low visibility to the gun in, e.g., hunting situations, where the glint of sun on metal or highly polished woodwork might betray the presence of a hunter. Further, a cover on a rifle can have military applications in addition to protection of a hunter's or sportsman's gun against minor damage. The current use of tape or paint to achieve either or both of these functions is only marginally effective, whether in sporting or military application, due to the ease with which the covering material can wear off.